Committed To Becoming More Age-Friendly
Yeoju-si Republic of Korea
A letter of commitment to rejoin
WHO Global Network for
Age-friendly Cities and Communities
Dear Representatives of the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities,
My name is Lee Choong-woo, the mayor of Yeoju City, Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea.
Yeoju City is dedicated to becoming a city of happiness for its 120,000 citizens, a city where all Koreans aspire to live, and a city that its residents are proud to call home.
The word “happiness” signifies a sense of deep satisfaction and joy in life, and to realize this, Yeoju City is committed to creating an urban environment where all citizens, including older adults, can live together in comfort. We strive to build an administrative system that communicates with citizens and operates from their perspective.
Located in the southeastern part of Gyeonggi Province along the Han-gang River, Yeoju is a prosperous and charming city that harmoniously blends rural vitality with urban sophistication.
Notably, Yeoju is home to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site — the Royal Tomb of King Sejong the Great, the revered monarch who created the Korean alphabet, Hangul — adding profound historical significance to our city.
Currently, Yeoju has 31,155 residents aged 65 or older, accounting for 27.2% of the total population, which marks a rapid transition to a super-aged society, surpassing the national average.
This demographic shift underscores the importance of policies aimed at enhancing citizens’ quality of life and the need to re-establish plans for building an age-friendly city.
During the past three yeast after having been certified as an age-friendly city by the WHO Global Network, Yeoju City enacted the “Ordinance on the Creation of an Age-friendly City” and established the “Yeoju City Age-friendly City Promotion Committee” to provide expert consultation and foster the development of a city where everyone aspires to live, demonstrating significant efforts and changes toward this goal.
We have also introduced a new paradigm in which older adults are not merely recipients of care but are recognized as active, healthy, and productive members of society who contribute both economically and socially.
To this end, we have implemented the first three-year Age-friendly City Action Plan since 2023, focusing on five core strategic policies and 78 specific initiatives:
- A happy city that achieves social integration through respect and communication among generations;
- A sustainable city that reduces transportation inconveniences and regional disparities;
- An active city that promotes employment and social participation for older adults;
- A safe city that ensures a secure environment for all citizens;
- A healthy city that supports longevity through health and community care.
Through these efforts, we have strived to build a warm and inclusive community where all generations can communicate and share happiness.
Now, Yeoju City seeks to embrace the “blessing of longevity” and to embark on a new chapter of challenge and growth by rejoining the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities for a second term.
We seek to share experiences with WHO age-friendly member cities around the world and to explore more systematic solutions for the development of age-friendly cities.
Based on the WHO’s eight domains of age-friendly cities, we will continue to reflect the opinions and needs of older adults and create a harmonious city for all generations.
We sincerely hope to strengthen our ties with fellow member cities through shared experiences and collaboration, and to work together to address the challenges of population aging and to promote the successful creation and expansion of age-friendly cities.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely yours,